John Howard to tutor Modest Members about economic reform over Parliament House dinner

Former prime minister John Howard will return to Parliament House to advise a select group of Government MPs on how to successfully prosecute economic reform.

Mr Howard has accepted an invitation to address the Modest Members group - a gathering of economically dry-minded Liberals.

The invitation was extended by the Victorian backbencher Kelly O'Dwyer, who before her career in the private sector advised Mr Howard's former colleague and political rival Peter Costello.

Liberal MPs are expected to pepper Mr Howard with questions at dinner tonight about how he saw politically difficult reforms like the GST through the Parliament.

The private dinner will be held at the Parliamentary House dining room.

The society of Modest Members is named in memory of the late Bert Kelly - a former Liberal minister in the Holt and Gorton governments, who sometimes singularly campaigned against industry subsidies and in favour of free trade, when it was unpopular at the time.

Arriving at Canberra airport Mr Howard said he was looking forward to meeting the Liberal MPs.

"It's a beautiful day, I've got no advice to give the Government, they're doing a fantastic job and Tony Abbott's a great Prime Minister," he said.

Ms O'Dwyer says its current members are committed to open markets and opposed to "state patronage and protection" because she says it "grants a select few favours at the expense of the broader community".